Automatic mount flashing machine



Oct. 21, .1947. P. H. DURST AUTOMATIC MOUNT FLASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. '2, 1946,

Inven bov auL H. Duvst X IS At' tovney.

Patented Oct. 21, 1947 AUTOMATIC MOUNT FLASHING MACHINE Paul H. Durst, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 2, 1946, Serial No. 707,47 9 Claims. (01. sis-4 5) My invention relates to lamp making machines Or devices and more particularly to devices for preconditioning or flashin incandescent lamp filaments.

In the manufacture of incandescent lamps it is desirable to subject a filament to a heat treatment while in an atmosphere of reducing gas, for the purpose of cleaning the mount, noting the filament distortion, and setting the filament, thus causing it to maintain the required form as a light source. This heating treatment is usually accompanied by a passage of electric current through the filament while disposed in a gaseous' atmosphere. such as hydrogen, to prevent oxidation.

The flashing operation when performed manually requires the exercise of a considerable degree of skill in order to prevent distortion or injury to the filament by over or under estimating the time necessary for the required heat treatment, It is obvious that irregularity will occur when relying upon manual operation for the flash treatment. There has been evidenced a decided need for semi-automatic or automatic devices readily adapted to or usable with turret type lamp making equipment in order to meet the requirements of high-speed production methods.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device to perform automatically the flashing operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and. improved means for mechanically engaging the lamp mount and electrically connecting the filament to an electrical circuit during the flashing operation. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for mechanically controllin the time interval during which the lamp filament is flashed without requiring strict supervision by an operator.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device by which lamp filaments may be flashed in a gaseous atmosphere by continuous automatically controlled movement.

To accomplish the above objects, I provide a vertically movable or reciprocating head for supporting a filament mount having means to grip and electrically connect lead-in wires of the mount. A movable carrier or conveyor is provided for supporting and advancing the head to a plurality of stations. A chamber containing a gaseous atmosphere is mounted over the carrier. Means are provided for raising the head into the chamber, actuating the head, advancing the head through a plurality of stations, and thereafter,

' lowering the head from the chamber. At a given time during the heads travel through the chamber, an electric current is caused to pass through the filament, thus heating it to the required temperature. The heat treatment may be timed and governed by varying the indexing speed of the flashing device.

Further features and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description and species thereof.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. Fig. l is a plan view of the flashing device incorporating my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of one of the heads of the flashing device incorporating my invention, Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the flashing device in the plane indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows, and also shows diagrammatic side elevation of a lifting means for raising the head at a station C indicated in Fig. 1, and a lowering means (in dotdash lines) for lowering the head at a station H indicated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have there illustrated a plan View of one embodiment of my invention as applied to a flashing device I. The device I may be a rotatable turret 2 indexing in a counterclockwise direction through a plurality of stations. Each station about the turret 2 is represented by a roller 3 in a common form of indexing means and is advanced by such rotation of a main driving shaft 4 as carries one of the rollers 3 into a curved channel of a cam 5 and finally to the former position of the preceding roller 3. The regular form of the remainder of the cam 5 fits relatively tight between two of the rollers 3 during the further rotation of cam 5 and keeps the turret 2 in a definite position during the indexing interval. The turret 2 constitutes a carrier including a plurality of vertically movable or reciprocating heads 6 (one of which is shown in enlarged view in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) for carrying lamp mounts to the various stations. Each of vertically movable heads 6 embodies a metallic push rod 1, the top end of which comprises in combination with an up-standing portion 8 of an insulating body 9, a stem holder I0 slotted to receive an exhaust tube thereby holding the mount in vertical alignment during movement of the head. The end of stem holder I0 is formed with divergent surfaces Ila and llb which engage lead-in wires l2 and I3 of a mount l4 shown in Fig. 3. The insulating body 9 forms a flange around the metallic push rod 1, and serves as a support for a metallic collar 15 suitably secured thereto such as by the use of a plurality of set screws, two of which, l6 and II, are shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Slotted rods [8 and [9 provided with circular shoes 20 and 2i on the upper end thereof, support resilient fingers 22 and 23 juxtapositioned on opposite sides of the stem holder IE) and having curved ends 24 and 25 adjacent the divergent surfaces Ha and Nb of stem holder for engagement therewith. Rods I8 and [8 pass through and are supported on the insulative body 9. The lower ends of rods [8 and i9 are provided with circular shoes 26 and 21 and between the latter and the insulative body 9 there are disposed springs 28 and 29 which normally urge or stress the rods [8 and I9 and the corresponding resilient fingers 22 and 23 in a downward direction. Set screw 16, in addition to securing the metallic collar IE to the insulating body 9, fits into the slotted rod 18 and forms a conductive link between collar I and resilient finger 22. Set screw ll fits into the slotted rod H) but is insulated from collar l5 and thus serves only as a means to secure collar IE to the insulative body 9.

A flashing device embodying the present invention may include a chamber 30 supported on the frame of the rotatable turret 2 over the indexing means or carrier at one of the stations thereof. The chamber 30 may be arcuate in form and disposed directly above and adjacent to the carrier, and the lower portion of the chamber may be open to receive heads 6. Reducing gas, as for example hydrogen, is supplied to the chamber 30 from any suitable source through the pipe 3|.

The various heads successively occupy the positions A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J on the turret as it indexes. A and B are the two front positions where the new mounts are loaded on the heads of the flashing device. Upon arriving at station C the heads 6 are lifted vertically from or transverse to the direction of movement of head 3 on the carrier and into chamber 30 by any suitable means, for example, by actuating the push rod 1 by means of a cam 32 on the drive shaft 33. This movement upward of head 6 releases the compression force on springs 28 and 29, occurred by the positioning of head 6 on turret 2, and the net result is a movement upward of the push rod I and a lowering of the resilient fingers 22 and 23, thus producing a gripping action between the curved ends of the resilient fingers 22 and 23 and the divergent surfaces I la and Nb of the stem holder in. In other words as push rod '1 is moved upward, the compression forces on springs 28 and 28 is released and the resilient fingers 2 and 23 slide downward over the divergent surfaces Ila and Nb of the stem holder I3. Lead-in wires l2 and [3 of mount 14 are caught in the grip between surfaces I la and [lb and the resilient fingers 22 and 23 and firm electrical contact between the lead-in wires [2 and l3 and head 6 thereby results.

The head is now advanced to the next station which is marked D in Fig. l at which point the metallic conductive collar i5 makes contact with and rides upon an insulative track 34. The track may be so disposed that a conductive plunger 35a; may engage with the track 34 at the indexing station D. Thus by connecting the plunger to a suitable source of electrical energy, a contact between the plunger 35a and the conductive collar 15 of the head 6 as it indexes into station D Will.

4 result in a flow of electric energy through the filament for the period of time the head remains at station D, thus heating it for the flashing operation.

The head is now advanced to the station E over track 34 and at which point the metallic collar l5 may make contact with a conductive plunger 35b, thus repeating the flashing operation that had occurred at station D. It is obvious that the flashing time may be varied by varying the indexing speed of the rotatable turret 2 or by removing the plunger 35b from track 34.

In order to facilitate inspection of the filament during the flashing operation the chamber 30 is provided with a suitable unbreakable arcuate window 36, substantially at right angles to the line of sight of the operator.

The head is now advanced over track 34 to indexing stations F and G at which points the filament is allowed to cool.

Upon arriving at station H the head is lowered out of chamber 30 and onto the rotatable turret 2 by any suitable means, for example, by providing a circular shoe 31 on the lower end of push rod 1 and another overlapping or engaging circular shoe 38 on a driving shaft 39 actuated by means of cam 40. After leaving station H the mounts are removed during the indexing period J, thus completing a flashing cycle.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device for flashing a filament for an incandescent lamp, the combination comprising a carrier, means for moving and indexing said carrier to predetermined stations, a head supported by said carrier and including a stem holder for receiving and supporting a filament mount provided with a pair of lead-in wires, said head having a pair of resilient fingers for mechanically engaging and establishing electrical connections to said lead-in wires, a chamber containing a reducing gas and positioned over at least one of said stations, and means for actuating said head to raise it into said chamber, make electrical connections to said lead-in wires-and subsequently lower said head onto said carrier.

2. In a device for flashing a filament for an incandescent lamp, the combination comprising a carrier, means for moving and indexing said carrier to predetermined stations, a head supported by said carrier and including a stem holder for receiving and supporting a filament mount provided with a pair of lead-in wires, said head comprising means for engaging and establishing electrical connections to said lead-in wires, a chamber containing a reducing gas and positioned along the path of movement of said head, and means for moving said head into said chamber, established electrical connections to said lead-in wires and thereafter return said head to its initial position on said carrier.

3. In a device for flashing a filament for an incandescent lamp, the combination comprising a carrier, means for moving and indexing said carrier to predetermined stations, a head supported by said carrier and including a stem holder for receiving and supporting a filament mount provided with a pair of lead-in wires, said head comprising means for mechanically engaging and establishing electrical connections to said lead-in wires, a chamber containing a reducing gas and positioned over at least one of said stations, means for moving said head transverse to the direction of movement of the head on said carrier andinto said chamber, and means for electrically energizing the head engaging means when said head is in said chamber.

4. A device for flashing filaments attached to lead-in wires of a mount for an electric incandescent lamp comprising a vertically movable head for supporting a mount, said head having means to grip and make electrical connection to lead-in wires of the mount, a movable carrier for sup porting and advancing the head to a plurality of stations, a chamber mounted over the carrier at one of the stations thereof, means for introducing a reducing gas in said chamber, means for raising the head into the chamber, electric supply means for connecting the mount while in the chamber to a source of electrical energy, and means for advancing the head through a plurality of stations and thereafter lowering the head from the chamber.

5. A device for flashing filaments attached to lead-in wires of a mount for an electric incandescent lan'ip comprising a vertically movable head for supporting a mount having resilient fingers to grip and electrically connect lead-in wires of the mount, a movable carrier for supporting and advancing the head to a plurality of stations, a chamber mounted over the carrier at one of the stations thereof, means for introducing a reducing gas in said chamber, means for raising the head into the chamber, electric supply means for connecting the head and resilient fingers while in the chamber to a source of electrical energy, and means for advancing the head through a plurality of stations and thereafter lowering the head from the chamber.

6. A device for flashing filaments attached to lead-in wires of a mount for an electric incandescent lamp comprising a vertically movable head for supporting a mount and having movable resilient fingers which slide along and grip and electrically connect the lead-in wires of the mount, a carrier for supporting and advancing the head to a plurality of stations, a chamber mounted over the carrier at one of the stations thereof, means for introducing a reducing gas in said chamber, means for raising the head into the chamber, electric supply means for connecting the mount while in the chamber to a source of electrical energy, and means for advancing the head through a plurality of stations and thereafter lowering the head from the chamber.

7. A head for flashing a filament mounted on a stern for an incandescent lamp comprising in combination a reciprocating push rod having at one of its ends a stem holder and means adjacent the stem holder for engaging and electrically connecting the filament lead-in Wires across the terminals of a source of electrical energy.

8. A head for flashing a filament mounted on a stem for an incandescent lamp comprising in combination a reciprocating push rod having at one of its ends a stem holder and resilient fingers adjacent the stem holder for engaging and electrically connecting the filament lead-in wires across the terminals of a source of electrical energy.

9. A head for flashing a filament mounted on a stem for an incandescent lamp comprising in combination a reciprocating push rod having at one of its ends a stem holder and means adjacent the stem holder nd responsive to the position of said rod for engaging and electrically connecting the filament lead-in wires across the terminals of a source of electrical energy.

PAUL H. DURST. 

